This Saturday I had the privilege of speaking to a group about a couple of things that I care a great deal about, both related to worship.

In the morning I spoke on the order worship, on the assumption we should worship according to the Bible. I started by asking, “If God has already forgiven why ask for forgiveness?” (“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” –1 John 1.9). I made the esoteric point that God can no more forgive us for uncommitted sin than he can condemn us for the same. But moved on to the fact that justification establishes a relationship in which we are continually forgiven (This is actually the traditional doctrine–WCF 11.5: “God doth continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified.” Forgiveness occurs in time (both as we commit sin and, in another sense, when we confess known sin.) That distinction is why we baptize for forgiveness of sins when sins have already been forgiven as in the case of adult believers (Acts 2). All of this was to make one point that would allow us to think clearly about worship: We are not permitted to use God’s eternity or the once-for-all work of Christ to flatten out the cycles of sin and repentance in the Christian life.

That being the case, I next asked “What happens when we meet God?” Specifically, what happens in the new covenant era (I feared OT precedents would not be accepted). I pointed out we had two major theophanies in the NT, one to a godly apostle and the other to a blasphemous unbeliever: Saul of Tarsus and the Apostle John. Both were ushered into God’s presence and, despite their differences both fell apart. Both had be restored. (At this point i mention that, in the Old Covenant era, Isaiah 6 follows the same pattern.) Thus we see for the Apostle John that a justified saint is still reminded to deal with their sins when he meets with God. He dies and must be raised.

Does this apply to corporate worship? I pointed out that what is true of John in Revelation 1 is true of the whole church represented by John in Revelation 1-4 (call to worship, deal with sin, called into heaven through a door). I then read what the book of Hebrews tell us about our own assemblies (Heb 10.19-25; 11.18-29). Revelation and Hebrews both show us the NT application of OT types, the worship situation we see in Revelation 4 and 5 reminds us of the Tabernacle and Temple.

At this point it would have been natural to go to Leviticus and show the order of worship there, but I knew I was going to preach on that the next day, so I held back. Instead I pointed out the role of trumpets in their function and in their place in the pattern of Revelation (1.10; 4.1; ch 8-15). According to Exodus 19.13, 16, 19 God’s presence on Sinai was announced by the blast of a trumpet. And then, when God’s presence moved to the newly constructed Tabernacle, God had two silver trumpets made which summoned the people to worship and warfare (Numbers 10.2-10). I argued that the Trumpets represented God’s voice–that having been called into God’s presence and having dealt with sin, God next shows us His Word being proclaimed. The voice of trumpet summons to worship and stands for the word of God.

What come next in Revelation are “bowls.” Given the correspondences with OT worship, these would correspond to drink offerings. This is also the part of the vision where John is shown the marriage supper of the lamb (ch 19). So we move from a call to worship, to a dealing with sins of the Church, to a vision of God’s word being proclaimed, to one of eucharistic fellowship.

Then the book comes to an end with a benediction (Revelation 22.14ff).

I brought my presentation to an end by looking of the significance of John’s declarations that he was “in the Spirit” on the Lord’s day (Revelation 1.10; 4.2). While this could have special prophetic meaning, I think it also refers to the Spirit-possessed sanctuary (Haggai 2.1-9; Exodus 40.34-38; 2 Chron 7.1-3) where God was objectively present. The story of Pentecost in Acts 2 means that the Spirit has not fallen on buildings or stones or animal corpses, but on people. Thus, I suggested that John 4 isn’t so much a statement about the metaphysical nature of God, like “spirit” is a substance, but an assertion that the Holy Spirit will no longer only be found at Jerusalem. That eventually, God’s presence in worship will be available wherever God’s people gather in corporate worship.

This entry is already longer than I meant it to be, so I’ll continue it later.